Alice Eve Talks Scary ‘Raven’ Coffin Scene, J.J. Abrams & ‘Star Trek’

April 16, 2012 10:06 AM PDT

Alice Eve had to face her fears in the April 27-due “The Raven,” including one scene that sees her character, Emily Hamilton, buried alive in a coffin.

“I definitely was claustrophobic,” Alice told Access at the film’s LA junket about the scene in her new movie, opposite John Cusack. “When they first put me in the coffin and they nailed the lid down, all the air went out of the coffin and I panicked… and then I had to learn there’s only so much oxygen in a confined space and you have to sip the air…

“Which is a good tip,” she added, with a laugh.

Beyond her work in “The Raven,” Alice is currently on board with the “Star Trek” sequel, under the command of director J.J. Abrams. Presently filming, Alice said one of the ways the famed director prevents leaks is by creating a sense of loyalty among his cast.

“J.J., I guess, really wins your trust… and you don’t want to do anything that would like, rock his ship,” she said.

“He runs a real gentleman’s set and we’re like his amazing army and he’s the kind general,” she added of their “Star Trek” captain behind the scenes. “He’s like a very efficient, generous filmmaker. It’s been an amazing experience working with him. It’s really special, actually.”

Being a part of the sci-fi franchise forced Alice to join the Trekker ranks by watching every episode of the classic show.

“I’ve watched all of them. My grandfather used to watch the original series in the ‘60s every Saturday at 5 o’clock, so it was nice for me because it was the only TV show he watched,” she said. “Now, I’ve watched them all and there are some scenes with [William] Shatner that break my heart… It’s so sweet.”